A group of area businesspeople led by BNIM Architects principal Bob Berkebile proposes reusing the closed Westport Middle School and Westport High School for an innovative private school.

The Kansas City Sustainable Development Partners LLC proposal for the buildings includes urban agriculture, nonprofit support and residential space. It was one of three proposals for the Kansas City Public Schools buildings presented at an Aug. 25 community meeting at Redeemer Fellowship Church.

Also presented at the meeting were a proposal by Kansas City-based Foutch Brothers LLC to convert the schools into market-rate housing, with fitness and community amenities, and a plan by Garrison Development to redevelop the buildings for senior housing.

Westport High and Westport Middle School are among 30 schools the Kansas City district closed in 2010 amid declining enrollment.

The crowd at the community meeting showed the most interest in the presentation by Berkebile’s Kansas City Sustainable Development Partners.

The team includes David Brain, the CEO of Entertainment Properties Trust whose real estate investment trust has been an investor in charter schools in Kansas City and elsewhere; Chip Walsh, director of Rockhill Club Development Co. LLC; and Butch Rigby, erstwhile owner of Screenland Theater.

Berkebile, the “B” in BNIM, gained nationwide renown for sustainable environmental architecture, particularly as it was used in Greensburg, Kan., after a 2007 tornado levelled most of the town. Kansas City Sustainable Development Partners’ plan for the Westport schools follows some of the same principles used in Greensburg.

The group’s $78 million proposal involves reusing Westport High for what will start as a private school, with the intention of becoming a public school and serving as a model for reinvigorating urban education programs.

Berkebile said he is working with education experts, including PREP-KC, to develop curriculum and programming for the school, which will involve a “learning by immersion” style of instruction. PREP-KC works with area urban school districts and investors to boost student performance.

KC Sustainable Development Partners’ proposal also includes a pilot graduate school program, which is in early stages of development.

Westport Middle School would, among other things, become home to various nonprofits. Although potential tenants were not disclosed, urban agricultural nonprofit Cultivate Kansas City discussed plans to develop a farming and garden center on the school campus. That could spin off into other education programs, such as a culinary institute that uses food grown at the site.

Other proposals for the school properties included a business incubator, a health center and as many as 100 market-rate residential units.

“As far as we know... this is not happening anywhere,” Berkebile said.

KC Sustainable Development Partners is under contract to buy Swinney Elementary School, 1106 W. 47th St., for conversion into medical office space. It also has designs to turn Blenheim Elementary School, 2411 E. 70th Terrace, into senior housing and a health clinic.

The Foutch Brothers’ proposal for Westport High and middle school call for converting the buildings into approximately 160 market-rate residential units.

The plan, estimated to cost $25 million to $30 million, envisions using some space for community amenities, such as a fitness center, charter education programs and office space for startup entrepreneurs and small businesses.

“Anything that is conducive to the rest of the community,” said Steve Foutch, managing director of Foutch Brothers.

Foutch Brothers has developed market-rate apartment projects in St. Joseph and has a pair of high-rise residential projects in Des Moines.

Gary Hassenflu, president of Garrison Development, said his $19.5 million proposal for the schools includes 118 independent-living units for low- and fixed-income seniors.

He also would use the schools’ auditoriums for community events.

Shannon Jaax, director of the school district’s building repurposing program, said the district doesn’t have a firm timetable for selecting one of the proposals.